What are some undeniable examples of divine intervention?

It was with gladsome voice that Daniel replies to the king, saying, "My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me." What transpired throughout that night Scripture has flung a veil over. We are only told that God's angel was there — no doubt a visible manifestation from God — and that the lions' mouths were shut. Daniel's mouth is opened in praise and thankfulness as he now confesses what God has done. The reason of God's intervention Daniel now adds: "Forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt" (ver. 22). He simply states what his walk before God had been, and what his conduct had been in relation to the king. "Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him." Why? "Because he believed in his God" (ver. 23). Do you believe in God? If you are a believer in God, you are sure to be blessed.

The difference between real power and outward pretence was seen on Mount Carmel ages ago (1 Kings 18). There at the outset the cause of Baal appeared to the best advantage. He had his choice of the sacrifice, the sympathy of the court, and a numerous priesthood, zealous for his (i.e. their own) interests. Throughout the day they rent their throats, if not the heavens, with their cries, "O Baal, hear us." They madly gesticulated, leaping frantically upon the altar, and cutting themselves with knives till the blood gushed out upon them. But the very exuberance of their efforts showed how ineffectual were their endeavours. There was no reply. The mountain of zeal brought forth not even a mouse-like result. But it was not so with Elijah. He, though alone, was supremely confident in Jehovah. He even took elaborate precautions to exclude every suspicion of human collaboration. The altar and sacrifice were repeatedly drenched with volumes of water. Then, in answer to his prayer, the sacred fire fell from the cloudless sky and consumed everything. God acted humanly speaking, under, the most unfavourable conditions for the glory of His name.

He had commanded, and the stone was taken away. He commanded again, crying with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes, his face being bound about with a napkin. Everything there was to impede obedience to the command — his limbs fettered, his face bound about with a napkin. The word of command, however, was a word of power. Life returned to the body; strength, vigour, to the limbs. But had he really died? Had life actually left his frame? The Lord announced the fact of his death two days after the messenger had reported his illness (14). The sisters were sure that Lazarus had died (21, 32). The Jews in the company of Mary testified to it (37). And four days had he been dead and buried (17, 39). The miracle, then, could not be gainsaid. If Lazarus came forth from the tomb, it was the Lazarus who had died. His resurrection was indisputable. A word had been spoken, and Lazarus was again alive. No personal contact had there been with the Lord, as in the case of the daughter of Jairus. He but spake, and it was done. He, who called all creation into existence, called forth Lazarus by His word from the dead.

"I am the resurrection," He had said. He thus proved it: an earnest of the putting forth of that power which will call forth every sleeping saint from the tomb — an earnest, too, of that power which will call forth all the ungodly dead to appear at the great white throne. Nothing could hinder Lazarus obeying the voice of Christ. Nothing will be able to retain in the grave the bodies of the ungodly dead. Saints of God can find encouragement from this history. When He shall call His own from the tomb, every one of them will come out. Ungodly ones may well tremble, as they read of the effect of His voice. Poets may write of the "dull, cold ear of death." * When, however, He who is the resurrection speaks, its ear is dull no longer.

Peter was indeed to have the honour of a martyr's death — his Lord told him so in John 21:18, but not yet. Our times are in His hand — what comfort! Confiding in the Lord, Peter was able to sleep peacefully in prison although bound to two soldiers with chains. Other soldiers were posted at the door of his cell, so determined was Herod not to lose his prey. But all men's precautions are useless when God asserts Himself. He who disposed of Pilate's stone and seal made short work of Herod's doors and guards. Accordingly on that memorable night, an angel awoke Peter, and bade him arise, gird himself, and follow him. The chains fell off, door after door opened before them, the soldiers sleeping on, and presently Peter found himself in the street, the angel then bidding him farewell. The apostle, only by this time fairly awake, then exclaimed: "Now I know of a surety that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectations of the people of the Jews."

Further, that Gospel received ensures salvation. What does this mean? As saved a person is delivered from something which had threatened him. A saved man is a delivered man. That Israel learnt, and rejoiced in, when standing that eventful morning on the eastern shore of the Red Sea. On the previous day they seemed in a terrible strait. The sea was before them. The army of Pharaoh, with his chariots and horses, was coming up behind them. To turn to the right or to the left was impossible, for they "were entangled in the land, the wilderness had shut them in." So said Pharaoh (Exod.14:3). To go forward was to court death by drowning. To remain where they were was, humanly speaking, to await certain destruction at the hands of the Egyptian cavalry and chariots. In this predicament came that word by Moses to the affrighted people, "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." They did see that; for going forward to the sea, and passing through its bed as on dry land, the waters which they thought must surely engulf them were forced by Almighty power to be a wall on their right hand and on their left. No flank movement of the enemy was therefore possible: to follow behind the Israelites was the only course. Then Israel saw their enemies dead on the sea-shore, overwhelmed by the returning waves. They were saved. Neither had the sea engulfed them, nor had their enemies destroyed them. They were delivered, so could sing, "The Lord [or, Jah] is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation" (Exod.15:2).

Next, as regards the miracle of the sun and moon being arrested in Joshua 10, Mr. N. says, "It has long been felt as too violent a derangement of the whole globe, to be used by the Most High as a means of discomfiting an army." Long felt by whom? It is a very stale objection of infidels, like most, for they generally copy one another, so that, in the sense of its repetition usque ad nauseam, it has been long felt. But the object was not simply a means of discomfiting the army; it was a public testimony before the world that God interfered for His people, and would answer and put honour upon Joshua. And the sacred writer speaks of it in this way; "The like was never known," he says, "that the Lord hearkened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel." The miracle is as plainly stated as physically true. But Mr. N., who always shuts God out of everything, forgets that it was as easy for Him who created the world to stop it as to make it go — to hold it in equipoise for a moment in its place, as to create the laws which kept it in its course. Joshua thought much more of God and His power; Mr. N. (as if there were neither) much more of the earth and its ordinary course, because it went naturally on. It seems to me that Joshua's was a higher, truer, nobler thought than that of Mr. N. The thought that counted on God's goodness to His people and His almighty power was nobler and truer than that which excludes Him out of His own creation, and forgets that, if God did make these admirable general laws, He must sustain their power every moment, and can never abrogate His own rights for a mass of earth. The earth was stopped turning round, and the sun and moon are spoken of just as we do, and as Joshua must have done. We know well it is the earth which turns round, and yet we say, the sun rises, sets, &c.

The difficulty is to make choice of a few instances of God’s intervention in human affairs; such is the wealth of material at our disposal in the Scriptures.

First, individually. The translation of Enoch was clearly an intervention on his behalf. Noah and his family’s salvation by the ark presents another case in point.

The miraculous birth of Isaac; the promise of the birth of Samson and of Samuel; the preservation of the infant Moses; the miraculous passage of the three Hebrew youths through the fiery furnace, which burnt their bands, but did not singe their hair; the shutting of the lions’ mouths, hungry as they were, when Daniel was consigned to their den; the raising to life of dead persons; the angel bringing Peter out of prison; and standing by Paul on the storm-tossed vessel, cheering, sustaining, promising deliverance, though outward circumstances seemed all against it—these and a hundred other instances of God’s intervention in the lives of individuals crowd to one’s memory.

Then as to nations, the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt; the angel of the Lord smiting 185,000 Assyrians with His asphyxiating breath; the bringing in of the “times of the Gentiles” as seen in the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires, are notable instances in point.

The writer, and I am sure many of his readers, can witness to wonderful answers to prayer, when only by a remarkable combination of circumstances as to time and place, etc., could the answer be possible—a combination quite beyond the range of chance or happy coincidence, but an answer clearly planned by Divine intelligence and carried out by Divine power—in short, an answer given by God Himself.

But is this so? Scripture gives us striking instances to the contrary. Take, for instance, Elijah praying for a drought, lasting three and a half years, and then praying for the drought to terminate; Elisha’s praying that the young man’s eyes might be opened to see what ordinary mortal eyes might never see, viz., the mountain full of horses and chariots and fire—heavenly visitants for the defence of His servants against the host of Syria; the Syrians’ smitten with blindness and their power broken; Hannah praying for a son and becoming the mother of Samuel in distinct answer to prayer; King Hezekiah, “sick to death,” praying for his life and having fifteen years given to him, in distinct response—these and many more instances can be adduced that God can and does set aside natural laws for the moment in answer to prayer. How blessed to know that we can come to God as One who, knowing all our needs and circumstances, sympathizes and answers prayer.

Now this consideration corrects the mistake many make in looking for, and demanding, the active intervention of God today. Nothing is more common than to hear the exclamation — "Why does not God step in and put a stop to all this." And prayer is continually being made asking for such divine interference. It is generally on the plea that, if God is sovereign, it is surely to be expected that He will do so. Perfectly true it is that in His wise and holy providence He at all times marks all things, over-rules all happenings, and works throughout all history the counsel of His will. But His government today is not immediate, or in any sense direct. The character of our times, and the general course of events show that it cannot be so. Operative in providence He ever is; actively intervening in history He is emphatically not, today. He cannot be so regarded, nor appealed to on that ground. "When God ariseth to judgment" there will be no dubiety or mystery about His actions. It will be no indirect, unseen, control that He exercises. The time for His active participation in events will have arrived, and the shaping of their course taken directly into His own hands. We cannot say what are the features that determine the stage of maturity when God will so interfere. It is not for us to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in His own power. But as showing that it is more than a simple question of it being open to God at any time, in His providence, to intervene, let us remember that there are other factors in the situation, factors very commonly not taken account of at all.